Morning Headlines - Thursday, Apr. 4, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Here’s Where The Biden-trump Polls Stand In 7 Swing States

The battle between President Biden and former President Trump is ramping up with the general election for the White House now underway.

Biden and Trump both easily became their party’s presumptive nominees last month, but each candidate will face a long and difficult campaign in a rematch of the 2020 contest. In a race expected to be razor-tight, a handful of battleground states will likely determine the winner.

Political Leaders Are Finally Responding To The Housing Crisis. They Need To Move Faster

When U.S. governors gathered in Washington this February, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte — a former Republican representative best known in the nation’s capital for body slamming a reporter — shared a practical political lesson about the nation’s housing shortage. He detailed his state’s efforts to add homes by removing restrictions on development, in response to a surge in the state’s population.

In giving advice to his counterparts in other states, Gianforte offered a simple sales pitch to disarm the opposition to new development.

Amazon's No-checkout Flop Shows AI's Limits

Amazon's decision to shut down its grocery stores' flashy Just Walk Out technology delivered a slap in the face to some of the most extreme prognostications about AI.

AI is still not ready to operate on its own in complex physical environments full of people, like grocery stores or roads.

Amazon is phasing out the Just Walk Out system in its full-size Amazon Fresh grocery stores. That's the tech that lets shoppers bypass checkout lines by tracking their purchases with cameras and sensors.

Oklahoma Prepares To Execute Man For 2002 Double Slaying

Oklahoma is preparing to execute a man for shooting and killing two people in Oklahoma City more than two decades ago.

Michael Dewayne Smith, 41, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday after his conviction and death sentence for the slayings of Janet Moore, 41, and Sharath Pulluru, 22, in separate shootings in February 2002.

Powerball Jackpot Climbs To Estimated $1.23 Billion After No Ticket Wins Grand Prize Of Roughly $1.09 Billion

Just over a week after a winning ticket was sold for a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, there were no winning tickets for Wednesday night's estimated $1.09 billion Powerball grand prize. So an estimated pot of gold of at least $1.23 billion will be up for grabs in the next Powerball drawing on Saturday night. The amount could rise as more and more tickets are gobbled up.

Saturday's jackpot will be Powerball's fourth biggest ever and the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history.

Wisconsin Headlines

Republican Lawmaker Wins 2 County Board Seats Via Write-In Votes

A Republican state lawmaker unofficially won write-in campaigns for two Douglas County board seats Tuesday in an unusual election that featured four board races without any candidates on the ballot.

Initial results show state Rep. Angie Sapik, R-Lake Nebagamon, won both the 11th and 20th Douglas County Board District races.

Biden, Trump See Warning Signs In Primary Wins; Milwaukee Voters Narrowly Approve $252 Million School Referendum

Two state lawmakers won new local offices, Milwaukee voters narrowly approved a $252 million school referendum, and both Joe Biden and Donald Trump easily won their parties’ primaries with some warning signs of general election weakness.

There was little drama in the April 2 presidential primaries over who would win. Instead, the question was the margins.

In the Dem primary, those who pushed the uninstructed option to protest Biden’s policies toward Israel and Gaza more than doubled their goal with more than 47,000 votes. Still, Biden took more than 88% of the primary vote, and uninstructed fell short of the 15% threshold it needed to secure a delegate to the national convention.

Using Opioid Settlement Dollars, DHS Proposes New Focus On Preventing Substance Abuse

With increased funding available this year, the state Department of Health Services has submitted their plan for spending $36 million from national settlements against opioid manufacturers, retailers and distributors.

A 2021 law requires that 70 percent of opioid settlement funding go directly to the counties and municipalities that joined the national lawsuits. DHS is required to submit their plan for spending the remaining 30 percent to the state Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee for approval.

Who The Wisconsin Constitutional Amendment Raising The Bar On Bail Hurts And Helps

It's been one year since the State Assembly cracked down on bail reform across Wisconsin. The amendment passed last year makes it harder for defendants to get out on bail before trial.

The cash bail system is designed to help ensure a person accused of a crime actually returns to court. The amendment allows judges to consider more factors when setting bail amounts.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Declines To Clarify Map Question For Potential Recall Election

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 3 refused to offer clarity on what legislative district boundary lines should be in play for a potential recall election sought by supporters of former President Donald Trump targeting the Republican Assembly speaker.

The effort to recall Speaker Robin Vos appears to have not gathered enough valid signatures to force an election. But the Wisconsin Elections Commission had asked the Supreme Court to clarify what maps should be used for any recall or special election that takes place before November, when new maps take effect.